Need an update but limited on your budget? Have a look at these easy to do ideas that can really change your living space…

Week 3 of January and my decorations only just seem to have found their way back into the garage. I’m a huge fan of decorating the house for Christmas but even I have to admit that when it’s gone for me it’s well and truly gone. As the last guests leave and the hangover fog slowly starts to rise, the Christmas decs start to make me itch just looking at them. Then just like that they’re all boxed away again ready for the next year (bar of course the annoying little Joseph tree decoration that I found under the sofa that will probably sit in the man drawer in the kitchen for at least a year, probably three!).

But as soon as they go you get to look at your home in a whole new light again. The space looks different. Bigger without all the Christmas stuff but just a bit more drab without all the sparkly lights. It’s always the time that I really start noticing all the things that I want to change. It’s almost a nesting instinct – Spring feels a long time away and all that’s ahead is a LOT of Netflix, we might as well bed down and make a nice nest. And quite frankly I need to be inside as while I’m pottering around, ‘im indoors has made the front garden his project. What started with a ’quick trim’ of his front bush (tee hee) has turned into a full-scale hedge removal and he’s hired a rotavator. I’m best out the way.

Here are some of my top tips for sprucing up the nest this January while keeping it real on the finance front.

Tidy House Tidy Mind

I’m a stickler for a list, in fact I’ve been known to write lists for my lists, but come on it’s a great place to start. Write a list of all the things that are annoying you around your home and I bet you one of them could be resolved with some tidying. Messy spaces can really make us miserable but somehow there’s just always something more important to do. Make the time it’s January- there's nothing else to do! Commit to a tidy and a clean-up of one of the offending rooms. For me it was my son’s bedroom. Under the mess in a neat pile were a couple of Christmas presents he hadn’t even played with because he probably couldn’t see them. It didn’t take me as long as I thought it would and I was pretty ruthless resulting in a bag of toys for the charity shop and a lovely tidy space that he’s actually spending a lot more time in because he has room to play. Hurrah all round! Check out more ways to style your kid’s bedroom here.

Get moving

So far this January I’m managing to stay on the sober wagon quite successfully but one thing I’m always bad at in January is getting out for a run. It always seems to go dark too quickly and I lose my mojo. In fact, the only thing that’s really moving around here is the furniture. Moving things around can be a great way of shaking things up. In my experience the bigger the better as far as the furniture is concerned. Don’t waste your time with little bits and pieces pull out the big guns. Try a sofa or a bed, or try moving your dining table around. Swap furniture from one room to another. Worst that can happen is you hate it for a couple of days and move it back again, best case you love it and things feel all new.

Paint

One of the cheapest ways to transform a room is with a new coat of paint. I’m a big fan of adding colour through my accessories so my home has quite a neutral colour pallet on the walls but every now and again I get an itch to try some colour. This time last year I painted my splash back in the kitchen in Farrow and Ball Stiffkey Blue and I love it. It doesn’t have to be a huge change though sometimes just a freshen up of the areas that have quite heavy traffic can really make a difference and brighten things up. If you don’t have the energy to do a whole room, why not spruce up some old furniture. One of my favourite past times is hanging out in Facebook market place looking for things I can spruce up. In the Summer I upcycled a lovely hall table that was £15 and painted it black and modernised the handles. I’m a huge advocate of re-using what we have and re-loving it again. Give it a go, if you don’t like it anyway you really have nothing to lose. If you don’t like it when it’s done you can always sell it on the marketplace and use the money to get something else.

Re-Style your accessories

Sometimes things just really need a shake-up. Playing around with all your accessories is a great way of changing the look and feel of a room. If you’ve got a bookcase, set of shelves or just a couple of shelves, firstly take a photo of it. We’ll call this insurance. Then take it all off. All of it. Then have a walk around the house and pick out a few things from other rooms that you love – maybe the odd photo or candle or a piece from your travels. Then back to the shelves. Go nuts with the Mr Sheen and a duster and you have a fresh slate. Then start again. Put things back and re-group them. Re-style the shelves. Group things in odd numbers (always looks better) and mix up the shapes and sizes to balance out the overall look. Small collections of things like this are called Vignettes. Have a go trying to get the balance right. If all else fails you have your photo to go back to and you’ve had a good clean! But chances are you’ll love what you’ve created. Whatever is left over can go back in the other rooms and you can re-style those too. Endless fun.

Get Planting

Probably my favourite accessories are houseplants. They can be added so cheaply and easily and really change the look of a space. On a smaller scale adding just greenery can look great. Tesco sell a fab range of ‘foliage’ plants for £2- £2.50 each and they’re really hardy (available in store only). Don’t worry about finding an expensive pot to put them in, be creative. You could use a mug or a bowl, or a vase for a plant, you could even recycle your baked bean tins for a more rustic look. Be creative. Fresh herbs are a great addition to a kitchen windowsill and look fab in a recycled tin can, plus you’re doing your bit for the environment too. Keep 3 different sizes of tins or jars and try adding different herbs. It’s a really cost-effective way of adding something different to your kitchen, they smell lovely and they encourage you to use them in your cooking. I’m loving a fresh mint tea at the moment too. Yum!

Larger house plants are expensive but can be a great investment if, and only if you’re prepared to look after them. With two small kids I’m at my limit in terms of keeping things alive with what I have already but I’ll get there. Plants not only look fab but they’re good for us and really add a lovely depth to the design of any room.

Then when you’re all done its time to settle down with your favourite box set (anyone seen Love? it’s next on the list). Get the comfies on, light the candles, get the fire going if you’re lucky enough to have one and snuggle down under your blanket. January is all about the re-charge - enjoy it!

Note: I have not been paid to advertise any of these products - I am recommending them simply because I like them!

5 tips to Re-Love your Home on a Budget